The article I read for this week is called, "Using Assistive Technology to Support Writing." This article goes through many tools that help assist students who have difficulty writing. Most students who have a problem in this area aren't able to create ideas, organize ideas, find ways and words to convey ideas, and using correct grammar, punctuation, and handwriting. These tools work well with students who have mild to severe learning disabilities and aren't able to write proficiently on their own. Some of the tools that are mentioned in this article include: word processing and multimedia software, tools to organize information, tools for creating text, and tools for revising text.
It can be difficult to use these types of Assistive Technology tools depending on the type of environment a student is in. The writing curriculum must be very comprehensive and it is also a good idea to have an AT specialist on hand to help the student. Since this is not always an easy thing to do, some of the problem arises here. Another thing to keep in mind is that the assessment that will be used needs to be specific student. It can not be a general assessment because every student learns at a different pace.
It can be difficult to use these types of Assistive Technology tools depending on the type of environment a student is in. The writing curriculum must be very comprehensive and it is also a good idea to have an AT specialist on hand to help the student. Since this is not always an easy thing to do, some of the problem arises here. Another thing to keep in mind is that the assessment that will be used needs to be specific student. It can not be a general assessment because every student learns at a different pace.
"Using Assistive Technology to Support Writing." CITED. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. <http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=108>.